Finding anyone to oppose Sherrie Sprenger for her long-held Oregon House of Representatives District 17 seat has been difficult.

In the 2016 election, the House Republican Whip – or minority party coordinator – faced only an Independent Party challenger and was the general election candidate for the Republican and Democrat parties.

After seeing what transpired in that election, Renee Windsor-White vowed to never let that situation take place again.

“No Republican is going unchallenged as far as I’m concerned,” Windsor-White said. “If it has to be me, and I have not a clue what I’m doing, I’ll learn and I’m a fast learner.”

“She’s very well known in Lebanon,” said Windsor-White, a Lebanon resident. “She’s very well liked.”

Sprenger’s campaign did not respond to multiple interview requests by email and phone.

Sprenger’s election website says it was last updated during the 2014 campaign. The last post on her Twitter account was in 2017.

She took part in the late-September week of legislative committee days.

In the Oregon House of Representatives, Democrats have 35 of 60 seats, meaning if they pick up one seat held by a Republican in the election they will have a 3/5 supermajority.

“I thought, oh, part of me wishes I could kick a man out,” said Windsor-White, a veterinary chaplain from Lebanon. “I’ll kick a conservative woman out, too.”

Renee Winsor-White is challenging incumbent Sherrie Sprenger for the Oregon House of Representatives District 17 seat.(Photo: Special to the Statesman Journal)

Meet Sherrie Sprenger's opponent

Windsor-White has never held public office, and the only election she won was as the first female student body president to Yale Divinity School.

In this election, Sprenger is running as the candidate for both the Republican and Independent parties; Windsor-White is the candidate for the Democrats, Working Families and Progressive parties.

Windsor-White’s background largely is in ministry – she is an ordained minister in the Christian Church Disciples of Christ – and education and hasn’t been involved in politics until now.

“I think by and large people are tired of politicians,” Windsor-White said. “I want to use the fact that I’m not a politician to my advantage. I think I’m a public servant. I always have been. That’s the experience that I would bring to public service. I want to continue that. I think that’s what we need.

“That’s the kind of person we need in the legislature, not another politician, not someone who feels like they’re beholden, getting money from outside sources.”

As of September 24, Sprenger’s campaign had raised $44,901 and had a cash balance of $18,491.

Sprenger’s largest single donation was $4,000 from Orloggers PAC, and she’s received donations of over $1,000 from Oregon companies including Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde, Freres Lumber, Nike and Oregon Action Committee for Rural Electrification as well as out-of-state contributions from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (a trade group from Washington, D.C.), Anheuser Busch and Koch Industries.

Windsor-White’s largest campaign contribution was $1,000 from herself.

“The rest has come from friends, relatives, a couple of people I don’t know,” Windsor-White said. “I get a contribution from a minister in Oklahoma that I’ve never met.”

Sprenger, a former deputy sheriff in Benton and Grant counties, has said in the past she does not support restrictions for gun ownership.

Windsor-White said her views on gun control are formed around her mother, Virginia Funk, being shot and killed by her abusive ex-husband, former sheriff Lloyd Martin, in a murder-suicide in Winchester, Illinois in 1971 when she was 18.

“I know that happened because a gun was available to the wrong person,” Windsor-White said.

Sprenger has advocated for and introduced bills aimed at controlling the cougar population by allowing private individuals to hunt them with dogs.

Windsor-White works with animal rescues and calls herself a “foster failure” as she adopts dogs she intends to foster for short periods.

She said one of her major concerns about the issue of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers draining Detroit Dam to install a cooling tower and aid in fish passage is more than about the animals.

“What strikes me that people don’t understand is what’s good for the animals is good for us,” Windsor-White said. “It’s more than we’re just taking care of the fish.

“If something is to be done in Detroit Lake, it helps with the issue and answers the question about the algae blooms that makes sure Salem has clean water, why would you not do that?”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Rep. Sherrie Sprenger(Photo: Special to the Statesman Journal)

Oregon House District 17

Sherrie Sprenger

Party: Republican.

Age: 53

Occupation: State Representative.

Work experience: Deputy Sheriff in Benton and Grant counties, owned radio company.

Political experience: Four years on Lebanon School Board.

Education: Bachelor's degree from Corban College in 2007.

Residence: Scio.

Family: Husband Kyle, one son.

Rene Windsor-White

Party: Democrat.

Age: 66.

Occupation: Veterinary chaplain at Oregon State.

Work experience: Minister in the Christian Church Disciples of Christ and regional search minister 1981 to 1988, News director at KGAL and KSHO radio stations to 1991 to 1996, Assistant at Oregon State University 1997 to 2003, executive assistant at Linn-Benton Community College 2003 to 2013.

Political experience: None.

Education: Bachelor’s degree from Eureka College (Illinois), Master’s of Divinity from Yale.